Category Archives: candy alternatives

Yay! It’s almost Halloween! My favorite holiday. There is something about Halloween I’ve always loved. And it’s not all about the candy and treats (as you might know, I’m not a huge sweet tooth). Truth be told… I’m a big ole’ scaredy cat and don’t even believe in ghosts, but man I love the spirit of Halloween. It’s so fun to dress up and I remember how exciting it was as a kid walking around in the dark gathering candy with the anticipation of being scared out of my Princess Leia buns any minute. My kiddos participate in Halloween, but they agree to eat mommy’s healthy treats and they turn in their trick-or-treating candy for a gift from the “Great Pumpkin” (who comes the morning of November 1st). I’ve done this for years now (since my daughter was 2) and my kids love it. We usually come in early from trick-or-treating and I make some popcorn and other favorites like caramel apples and ginger cookies (via Ricki Heller) and we snuggle up on the couch and watch a low-key Halloween cartoon. And I’m the nerdy neighbor who does NOT give out candy (I know…booo to me) please don’t egg my house. I hit up the dollar store for festive stickers, pencils, erasers, and other little trinkets and that’s my “treat.” It’s nice to have some variety, right.

These raw peppermint patties are dedicated to my handsome chocoholic husband. This is his favorite combination (chocolate, peppermint, and coconut). I love creating healthy treats for my family…I feel like such a superstar mom when I’m like, “Why yes, we have a fun sweet treat for snack, or yes, there is something tasty and healthy for dessert.” I love it. I’ve been working on this recipe for a while. I’m excited to share the final product with you today. Enjoy!

1. Melt the cocoa butter. Here is how to keep it raw while melting: fill a small pot with water (half full) and place a 1 cup glass Pyrex in the water. Add the cocoa butter (shredded for quicker, more even heating). Stir while it’s melting. Once melted, remove from the water.

2. To the melted cocoa butter add in all the above chocolate shell ingredients. Stir until the raw cacao powder is incorporated.

3. Don’t skip this next step: Use an immersion blender (or some blender) to emulsify the mixture for only about 10 seconds* (see notes). If you skip this step, the honey will sink to the bottom and will not be evenly distributed throughout the chocolate.

4. Pour chocolate (as much or as little as you like) into the bottom of a mold (silicone or paper) – place in the freeze for about 5 to 10 minutes to harden.

5. In a food processor make the filling. Add the 1 cup of shredded coconut and blend 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until incorporated. If adding the cacao nibs, add last and pulse a few times to incorporate.

6. Remove the molds from freezer and (with your hands) add in the filling on the layer of chocolate, leaving enough room on all side for the top layer of chocolate to form around the filling and touch the bottom layer of chocolate. Add as much or as little as you like.

7. Transfer to fridge or freeze to harden.

8. Makes 4 to 5 large peppermint patties. I pour any leftover chocolate into small silicone candy molds and refrigerate.

Notes:

*Be careful…DO NOT blend the chocolate too long. Something crazy will happen: the honey and coconut oil blob together and the cocoa butter separates. There is no recovery when this happens.

*I use 1 tablespoon of honey for the filling – these puppies are RICH, but add in more sweetener to your preference.

Amber! I kid you not, I just ordered cocoa butter off of Amazon to make these! I have questions though! I’ll have to omit the honey and use all stevia. In the shell, do you think this would work if I upped the cocoa butter content by a tablespoon or two to make up for the honey? I’ve never worked with cocoa butter, but I’m assuming it’s much like coconut oil (just a little more thick/durable)? And what about the filling? Just up the cocoa butter to replace the honey? What do you suggest?

Stevia will absolutely work with the shell. If you want to make up for the lost 1/4 up of honey, I would add a tablespoon or two more of the cocoa butter, coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and another teaspoon or two of cacao. That should bring you up to the correct liquid ratio.

I make chocolate all the time with stevia and it works well. Just a few drops of stevia will also work in the filling. You could even add in a T of coconut oil to make up for the lost tablespoon of honey liquid. But I think it would be fine without adding in any additional liquid.

Let me know how it all turns out! These are super rich girl, such a decadent treat. I’m excited for you to try cocoa butter. It’s wonderful. 🙂

Thanks Vicky. Yes, I agree, these would be great around the Holidays. I just need to figure out how these can keep at room temp…you know, like the original version. I love making chocolate, but it has to stay in the fridge or it will melt. Still, these are very tasty. And I like them cold, actually. 🙂

Oh WOW! Peppermint Patty’s were one of my favorite treats as a kid. I can NOT wait to make these! Thanks for the great recipe, the instructions, and the pictures. What a fabulous post! (Now I’d like to place an order for…)

I’ve been addicted to making chocolates since I made Ricki’s Orange-Goji Berry Chocolates a few months ago. Homemade chocolate is ridiculously easy – and if you’re moving into whole food eating, making your own is the perfect opportunity to have total control over the ingredients. When it comes to chocolate in our home, I generally use carob. I discovered carob several years ago and I have to say, I really like it. I know, I know, chocolate is revered by many (insert picture of my husband here) and touted for healing properties, but since I’m not a huge chocolate lover (ahem, like my chocoholic husband) I therefore don’t feel an incredible urge to eat it (ahem, like my chocoholic husband). But moreover, I’m not ready to expose my son to the stimulating effects of chocolate. I alwaysexperience this side effect when I eat or drink something with raw cacao (I don’t drink coffee either, so I can REALLY feel the chocolate). So I can only imagine what it does to a little 3-year-old (and I will let nothing stand in the way of nap time – cyber high-five to all my mommy peeps who know what I’m talking about – LOVE nap time). But moreover, my son suffers from eczema and we’ve come to find out that chocolate aggravates my husband’s eczema (oh boy, that was a sad day). Okay, so, long story short here on the chocolate…it’s a fun treat once in a while for my daughter and husband, but carob is used far more frequency in this house and that’s just fine with me…AND my family. Less stimulating effects, less eczema, more smiles. See HERE for health benefits of carob.

Thanks for sharing your experience with raw cacao. I have never had any problems with it, but I would love to experiment more with carob powder. And yes-naptime is sooo critical in my household too! I am really looking forward to trying this treat and playing around with delicious carob.

I’m intensely craving chocolate on the SCD! After a few years on this diet, I think chocolate (or carob) will be the first thing I re-introduce. I’m going to give the white chocolate version a try for now, and see if that will satisfy my craving! This is a creative and beautiful recipe, as always!

You know, I make a version of raw chocolate with coconut oil and cacao powder, and have always been meaning to try it with carob. I haven’t quite graduated to using cacao butter (hehe) but these certainly make me want to try it, and soon! Maybe for now I’ll test the waters with a carob and coconut oil concoction, then when I’m ready to take the plunge I’ll come back to these for inspiration.

Oh my goodness, I’m so happy I just discovered your blog. Like your husband, I do LOVE chocolate– but I definitely feel the stimulating effects! I’m learning to love carob, so perhaps these little cups will satisfy my cravings!

oh my gosh those white chocolates sound incredible! i’ve really been craving chocolate since going SCD. I’m totally going to make that tomorrow! YUM! Also — question for you: do you eat Larabars on the SCD? (the ones without chocolate) The ingredients appear to be SCD legal: (dates, almonds, cashews, unsweetened cherries) but I just don’t want to risk it. I tend not to trust anything “processed.” Thanks!

you make it sound so easy – one day I’ll have to give it a try, but I’ve not seen cocoa butter around, I’ll have to search it out, I’ve a friend’s birthday coming up, and what says “I love you” better than home-made treats? thanks:)

How interesting about the link between chocolate and eczema – I had it really bad when I was younger and it has sort of been cured after being on oral Lamisil (hated the side effects of that) but I’ve seen it coming back here and there and now wonder how much my diet might affect it. Thanks so much for sharing at Sweet Saturday!

Thank you so much for this recipe. I am a chocoholic but it doesn’t agree with me and I’m not ready to expose my baby to it’s effects either. I’ve just ordered some cocoa butter so I’m going to make these for Christmas. Thank you for the white chocolate recipe too. I never thought I’d eat white chocolate again. I used to love that!

Thanks Katherine. My kids LOVE these little “chocolates.” The white chocolate is a little difficult with honey. I recommend blending the ingredients well before you put into molds. The honey is heavy and sinks to the bottom and separates. I’m slowly working on an actual recipe for SCD white chocolate.

Just wondering if you’ve tried these without the stevia? We find carob naturally sweet and I share your views on carob and exclude both theobromine (the stimulant in chocolate) and caffeine from my 3 yr olds diet. It’s quite handy too because she identifies chocolate as grown up chocolate and something that she will only like when she’s bigger. Guess I’ll just give it a whirl and hope it still sets. Thanks for sharing your recipe

We went strawberry picking a few weekends ago and we’ve been eating strawberries every day and I’ve had fun incorporating these red beauties in everything from ice cream to salads. You just can’t go wrong with strawberries, right! Don’t these look wonderful drenched in chocolate (um, yes, foodgasm – the perfect mix of sweet and tart…swoon)! What a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift these would make, perhaps for dessert after dinner out or a home cooked meal. This chocolate was completely inspired by Ricki @ Diet Dessert and Dogs. She recently made some goji berry sugar free chocolates, and they were amazing. It was my first time using stevia as a sweetener in chocolate, and I have to say, it worked beautifully. And my chocoholic husband LOVED them, so that’s ALL I need to know. If he gives me the thumbs up, it’s a winner in my book.

1. For dark chocolate: in a double boiler (or just put a nonstick pan on top of a pot filled with water), add cocoa butter, cashew butter, and cacao powder. Stir as it melts to help break up the cashew butter. When the chocolate looks nice and hot and it’s melting, turn off heat and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.

2. Add in both vanilla stevia and cocoa stevia. Stir.

3. Transfer melted chocolate into two separate bowls (should be 1/3 cup for each bowl).

4. In one bowl add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and in the other bowl, add coffee flavor.

5. Allow chocolate to cool and thicken a bit before you start to dip in the strawberries.

6. You may need to place the bowls of chocolate in the fridge, but not for long. Be forewarned, once the bowl gets cold, the chocolate hardens very fast. So, if this happens, simply put the bowl directly in some hot water to melt and start over. It may take a few tries to get the chocolate just right, but what you want is a somewhat thick syrup.

7. It helps if you put a plate in the freezer before you start. After you dip your strawberries, you can place them on the cold plate and it hardens the chocolate and helps it from oozing.

How To:

1. For the white chocolate: in a double boiler (see above), add cocoa butter, cashew butter, and coconut oil. Stir as it melts to help break up the cashew butter. When the chocolate looks nice and hot and it’s melting, turn off heat and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.

2. Add in vanilla stevia. Stir.

3. Transfer melted chocolate into a bowl and allow to cool. You can place in the fridge to help thicken, but see above if it hardens over completely.

Notes:

*To make cashew butter, add 1 – 2 cups raw cashews to food processor. Turn on and blend until creamy. It will get creamy right after the ball of nut butter forms. *You don’t HAVE to make the chocolate with cashew butter! Skip it for a creamier finish.

*When you start to dip the strawberries, do 5 to 7 strawberries at a time, the place in the fridge on the cold plate with a non-stick surface, such as parchment paper to help set up.*Cool the berries, then re-dip in chocolate until you achieve your desired chocolate thickness. I prefer a thin layer,

*If you place the strawberries directly on a glass plate, a metal spatchula works well to remove them from the cold plate – be gentle but firm.

*Garnish when chocolate is wet, before you place in fridge – use shredded coconut, lemon, orange or lime zest.

*These can be left out at room temperature, they will not melt all over. Placing in the fridge just helps them set up.

*Please add your stevia to taste. I don’t like super sweet, just enough to offset the bitter. So test the chocolate before you drizzle on the strawberries.

*Make little chocolates with leftover melted chocolate (see below)

I also use a spoon to cover the strawberry with chocolate

This is what happens if the chocolate gets too firm, it becomes difficult to work with. Just warm the chocolate if this happens. You need to find the right consistency, this takes a little practice. Remember, the white chocolate will look a little pale, but will become whiter as it cools.

Okay, that was weird–NO idea why my comment came up that way!!! What I said was, how SENSATIONAL those look–and thanks for the shout-out! Glad you love the chocolate as much as I do (though I really, really have to get me some cocoa butter!!). Please delete that previous whatever-it-is!!

You had me at the title 🙂 My hubby even had to check out this recipe after I read the title to him! Now these strawberries are exactly what I want for Mother’s Day. I always avoid white chocolate because I think of it as unhealthy, but not these ones. I am very excited about a delicious, healthy white chocolate recipe on top of fresh strawberries nonetheless!

That cashew butter was Ricki’s super smart idea. She totally inspired me with the chocolates. I thought I would NEVER use all that cocoa butter (that I use for my lotions). Nice to have another use for it. A little goes a long way. 🙂

Agreed! These are super fun. I love that my son can have the white chocolate. I feel so good about giving him a special treat that’s sugar free and vegan. He thought they were pretty special!! I have say though, the little chocolates are soooo good! I’m officially addicted. 🙂

Ingredients*I used this recipe for “rice crispy treats” from the Gluten Free Goddess for the inside of the bars *Onebar of this chocolate for the coating*Shredded coconut, if desired

How To*I made the above rice crispy treats, smoothed the mixture out on a silicone baking mat – around 1 inch high. Chilled them in the fridge until nice and solid. Then cut them into bars*Melt an entire bar of chocolate on a double boiler (I fashionedmy own using a small 8″ non-stick saute pan on top of a small sauce pan filled with some water)*Quickly cover bars with chocolate, rolling them around with a wooden pair of tongs. When fully coated, transfer immediately to a cooling rack with a baking sheetunderneath to catch the chocolate drippings*Transfer to fridge until cooled*These do very well sitting out at room temperature, the chocolate does not melt. Perfect to eat like a “candy bar”

*Melt an entire bar of chocolate on a double boiler (I fashionedmy own using a small 8″ non-stick saute pan on top of a smallsauce pan filled with some water).

*Place lollipop stick into fig. All I had on hand when I made these was a few wooden skewers, a little too sharp on the end for children. I found some 4″ lollipop sticks here in town the next day…much better.

*Using a silicone spatchula, drizzle chocolate quickly over fig

*Be sure to get some chocolate on the area between the stick and the fig, this will provide a nice hold, like a glue, ensuring the fig won’t fall off. I missed this on a few as you can see in the above picture and these were much more precarious

*Transfer immediately to a cooling rack with a baking sheet

underneath to catch the chocolate drippings*Transfer to fridge until cooled*These do very well sitting out at room temperature, the chocolate does not melt. Perfect to eat like a “Tootsie Roll Pop”

These fig pops are so delicious! I was very pleased with

how they turned out. These would make super

cute hors d’oeuvres at a party!

Caramel Pops and Caramel Apples

(My spin on traditional caramel)

Ingredients

*5 Tablespoons brown rice syrup (or Yacon Syrup might work)

*5 Tablespoons coconut sugar

*1 Tablespoon coconut oil

How To

*Spray some oil on wax or parchment paper and strategically place lollipop sticks on paper

*Have a small space on paper sprayed with oil for the apple. Have apple ready (with wooden skewer firmly in place)

*In a small non-stick saute pan (same as used above but not as a double boiler) heat brown rice syrup until bubbly, always stirring quickly to avoid burning

*Add in coconut sugar and coconut oil and stir quickly

*Keep on med/low heat with a slight bubble for about 2 minutes stirring the entire time to prevent burning

*Remove from heat and continue stirring for about 30 seconds

*With a silicone spatchula, pour a small amount of the sauce on the end of each lollipop stick. Let it sit and repeat once more, this will make it a little thicker and give the stick a little more to hold on to

*For apple, hold apple by the skewer and drizzle the sauce quickly over apple and then place on the oiled paper

*Transfer lollipops and apples into the fridge to cool

*When the sauce has hardened, take out items and remove from paper. You may get a little paper stuck on your treat, but it peals off pretty easy

*I suggest eating the lollipops right away, as they do get a little soft at room temperature

*Slice apple and let it sit at room temperature before eating. The sauce turns ooey and gooey when it warms up. So delicious with the tart apple!

*You will see in the picture below (the pops in the jar) here look a little different than the flat version described above. For these I made another batch of the sauce and let it cool a little and then started pulling it like taffy. It took a bit to get the texture just so, but it allowed me to make a thicker sucker

*This recipe may work with honey (instead of the brown rice syrup) or with Yacon syrup, but I didn’t test it out.

I haven’t had “real” caramel is so long. It was even years before I was diagnosed. I never loved caramel, but I thought this would be a fun challenge and I am very please with how it turned out. And I am now remembering that as a young girl I was forbidden to eat caramel apples due to a mouth full of braces. Bummer. For fun I looked up a traditional caramel recipe and can I tell you that my stomach started hurting from just reading the ingredients!

Hi, I'm Amber. Welcome to The Tasty Alternative. This blog is dedicated to holistic healing and green living. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2004 and heal myself naturally with food and lifestyle. Join me as I share with you easy, healthy recipes free of gluten, dairy, and cane-sugar. While you are here, check out my very popular healing homemade lotions great for eczema. Finally, don't miss my tips on how to create a "green" kitchen by decreasing kitchen waste. You can read more about me here.

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Hello readers of The Tasty Alternative. I am not a medical professional nor do I hold any dietary/medical degree or license. This website is not intended to diagnose or cure disease. I urge you to speak with a holistic healer or medical professional before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This site provides information about my personal healing journey and provides additional information gathered from research on alternative cooking and holistic healing. All readers agree that all access and use of The Tasty Alternative is at their own risk. Some links within the posts on The Tasty Alternative and sidebar companies are affiliate program links. This means that (most of the time) when you purchase a product linked from my site, I receive a small percentage in commission. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you.